Healing Herbs
by Satsuriku-Sama
Summary: Ezio destroyed Jacqueline's shop, leading guards to discover many illegal herbs. How can he repay her now?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! *grins* I'm really happy, coz I just got a new cat^^_

_Anyway, I have all these ideas, and only first chapters... I'll update as the reviews come. Even if they're not nice, then I'll try and fix anything I did wrong. Enjoy!_

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Ezio slumped in his seat on the doorstep of Leonardo's workshop and home. He ignored the dull pain in his side. He probably just opened some stitches again. He sighed as he remembered how he got into this situation.

He was running from some guards after an assassination. That was routine. He got injured. Big deal. But the strange thing was, his wounds wouldn't heal. Every time he stretched, or made a fast movement, he would tear his stitches. That was something, since Leonardo was his doctor, and usually mended him in two minutes. Leonardo had said that the wound was poisoned, but couldn't get it cleaned. The poison ate the stitches like acid, and made them fragile, thus making him tear them all the time.

He returned to Leonardo's workshop. He was living there while he healed from his latest wound, as Leonardo refused to let him go away. He was only allowed short breaks to breathe some air in his front door, then was ushered back in again.

"Ezio! Come inside!" Leonardo called.

"Yes, mother." Ezio mumbled. He stood up from his seat on Leonardo's workshop step and stretched his limbs. He winced and grabbed his side. "_Cazzo!_"

"Dammit, Ezio, don't do that!" Leonardo fussed over him while he dragged him inside to his room. Ezio fell heavily on his bed and groaned. Leonardo peeked under the bandages on his side and tsked.

"You opened the stitches. _Again_." Leonardo was pocketing his money pouch.

"Where are you going?" Ezio said.

"I have a friend that can probably help you."

Ezio groaned. That never meant anything good.

"Rest, I will be back with her, then we can see if she can come up with one of her weird potions, I don't care if she has to..." Leonardo shut the door behind him before he finished the sentence.

Ezio sighed. Then he scolded himself for doing so, since the wound throbbed at his left side. He wondered what kind of 'friend' Leonardo meant. It couldn't be one of Antonio's thieves. Leonardo had said 'she'. Ezio discarded the option it was Rosa, she couldn't even clean a wound properly, much less heal them. The thought of Leonardo's other friends made him shudder (then wince). They usually had the intelligence of a fencepost. He contented himself in staring holes into the ceiling, and trying not to move.

Finally, he heard the door open, and two sets of feet walking to his room. Leonardo burst in, looking annoyed.

"Aww, Leony, don't be mad at me..." A woman entered behind Leonardo, carrying a basket. She had a weird accent. Ezio wondered where she was from.

"Stop giving me these stupid nicknames, Jacqueline!" Leonaro huffed.

"But it's so cute to see you flushed like that, _mon chér_." Aha. France.

Leonardo huffed and pointed at Ezio.

"This is the _amico_ I was talking about. Can you help him?" He sat on the stool next to the bed.

"If _I_ can help him?" She scoffed. "_Bien sûr_, of course I can help him, who do you think I am?" She sat on the side of the bed and put the basket down. The sudden movement of the mattress made Ezio groan.

"Not the impressive introduction I like to give, but I am Ezio. Jacqueline, is it?" He extended his right hand to her, so he could greet her properly, like he had been taught, kissing her hand.

"I know who you are, you self righteous assassin." She glared at him. "You fell through the roof of my shop, and brought those guards inside. Thank God I keep the wares out of sight... I should keep you suffering until that heals."

"_Mi dispiacie_..." Ezio grinned sheepishly.

"So it's not that serious? How can you know without looking at the wound?" Leonardo asked hopefully. He seemed to have practice ignoring her rudeness.

"Of course not, _regarde-t-il,_ look at him. He's not pale, he's strong enough to talk and his voice doesn't seem strained. _Maitenant_, let's look at this, hm?" she slid to her knees on the floor next to the bed and opened her basket. She washed her hands with some hard liquor to clean them, took a tiny dagger, almost as long as a finger, out of its sheath, and cut the gauze. Then she cut the remaining stitches, and gently pulled them out with her fingertips. She put one hand on his side and one on his stomach. Then, she gently pulled at the skin, so that the gash opened and she could see inside. Ezio sucked his breath between his teeth. When she raised her dark eyes questioningly, Ezio gave her a crooked grin.

"Your hands are cold."

"_Pardon_. I must have died, but nobody seemed to be nice enough to tell me this." She stated coldly. Ezio looked puzzled.

"He's not used to sarcasm, Jacque." Leonardo muttered.

"The wound isn't deep." She ignored them both. "The poison used is similar to those I make, but obviously not in the same quality. _Mon Dieu_, who is the _amateur_ (A/N: HA, it _is_ a french word!) that attempted to make this?"

"Wow, thanks for the concern..." Ezio mumbled.

"Anyway, it should be fairly easy to clean this wound, but it will burn. I will give you something to numb the pain, then I will sew it closed." She rummaged in her basket. "Leo, _mon chér_, could you heat up some water, _s'il te plaît_?"

Leonardo exited Ezio's room. Jacqueline was mixing herbs and strange powders in a mug.

"So, what are you going to give me?" Ezio started small talk. Her dark brown eyes studied him from under long lashes.

"You look strong. And even with the low quality of the poison, it has been there for quite a while, from what Leonardo tells me. The main ingredients were not properly diluted, so their natural effect is still present, but the way the poison was applied to the blade that cut you was wrong, the person probably didn't know it's reactions to certain qualities of iron, so it started corrupting the material, giving the liquid a physical quality of gel, or cream, so it will be difficult to clean it out, plus all the pus that has accumulated in the gash." She said all this very quickly, making Ezio a bit dizzy. "So I'm making your tea extra strong, it's composure is very simple, you will feel dizzy, but try not to sleep, I need to keep track of your heart rate, and I'm putting a few extra herbs in here, to strengthen your immunological system, in case I oversee any drop of poison, but that won't happen, since the salve I will apply to clean the wound colors the poison purple, so it should be easy to clean."

"Do you trust her knowledge now?" Leonardo entered with a mug of hot water, looking smug.

"Pretty much, yeah." Ezio inhaled the scent of the tea Jacqueline made for him. He felt light headed already. He sat up with the help of Leonardo, and sipped the hot beverage. He managed to drink half of it before he plopped down again.

"Ugh, it's strong..." He slurred.

"_Boire_, drink, Ezio, or else the effect will not last enough until I finish. You will feel pain if that happens." Jacqueline said softly, nudging the mug to his lips.

"I knew you were nice deep down inside..." Ezio drank the last of the tea, before Jacqueline decided to drown him in it. _'Her frown is cute though'_, Ezio thought.

"Ezio, remember, try not to sleep. Do you feel this?" Jacqueline nudged his wound.

"Feel what?" Ezio slurred.

"Don't sleep. Tell me something." Jacqueline started cleaning the wound with a strong smelling, yellowish liquid. Ezio started to babble about one of Leonardo's paintings resembling him sleeping, and accused the artist to stalk him on hot summer nights, when he tended to sleep naked under the white cotton sheets. Leonardo actually had the decency to blush.

Eventually, Jacqueline cut the line when she finished the last stitch. She started cleaning her things and packing them up.

"He should sleep now. I'll come back tomorrow to see how things are going, but I don't think there are going to be any problems. The tea should lose its effect by tonight, but he needs to stay in bed until at least tomorrow afternoon. Give him lots of water, and don't let him move too much." She gave him three glass vials with corks and liquids in them. "Give him one spoon of each, each hour, then lots of water again. He should be back in perfect shape in about two weeks."

Leonardo held the vials in his hands and smirked at her.

"You're going to forget that, aren't you?" She eyed him suspiciously.

Leonardo kept smirking.

"I'm not staying here for two weeks, I have the shop to take care of."

Leonardo blinked.

"_Ah, mon Dieu, je sais pas pourquoi je fais des choses comme ça._" She sighed.

"_Grazie, mi amica_, I will set up a room for you." Leonardo dashed off to make room for her in another part of his house.

"Just put a mattress here in Ezio's room. If I'm staying, I might as well treat him with intensive medicine, he should be fine in five days, but I'll have to wake up during the night, I hope he is a heavy sleeper, if he wakes up too much it will make him tired, then..." Jacqueline kept talking about the possible ways of caring for Ezio.

"You know, Jacqueline, if I didn't know you were a genius at medicine, I would find your rambling creepy and disturbing." Leonardo dropped the extra mattress on the floor next to Ezio's bed, but far away enough that they both could stand between them. He tucked the sheets neatly around the mattress and laid an extra-fluffy pillow down for her.

"I take that as a compliment, _mon chér_." She set her basket near her new bed and followed him to the kitchen.

"Jacqueline, may I ask for that wonderful calming tea you make? Taking care of Ezio is very tiring..."

"I can tell... He seems a handful..." Jacqueline started rummaging through the shelves, starting to make tea with the non medicinal herbs normal people like Leonardo had in their kitchens.

"You should visit more often. It seems you could make a fine friendship with him." Leonardo pointed to a cupboard when Jacqueline started to swear in French, not finding the mugs.

"_Pour quoi_ do you say that?" She asked. "You aren't implying I'm one of those useless women that need a husband before they turn twenty, right?"

"By all means no!" Leonardo sat by the table. "I mean, some of those herbs you used today are very rare, and some others are even illegal, aren't they?"

"_Et pour quelle raison est-ce que tu dites ça?_" She poured the tea into two mugs.

"You already know his profession. So you could send _him_ to run errands for you. I'm pretty sure he can do the job well."

She looked thoughtful, nodding at herself.

"But I warn you." Leonardo continued. "He is difficult."

To emphasize his point, Ezio came stumbling shirtless into the kitchen. Jacqueline swore in French and dragged him back to their shared room.

"You need to stay put."

"But I smelled tea, and I wanted some more, the one you gave me made me numb, it was so good..." Ezio let himself be seated on the bed while she checked the stitches.

"If you drink too much of that tea you die." She said flatly. Ezio blinked. "You need to sleep. I will give you something else to calm you, and I need to wake you every few hours to medicate you."

"You talk too much. You know no one understands what you say when you ramble, right?"

"..."

"Aww, come on, it's true!"

"I have half a mind to let you drink something lethal."

"Thank god the other half disagrees, right?"

Jacqueline sighed and took another vial from her basket and opened it. She told Ezio to lay back down and spread a white salve on his stitched up wound. It smelled fresh, and was very cold.

"Do you have some problem with warmth?" Ezio quiered.

"It will keep your bloodflow around the wound to a stable level, or else the chemicals would... Oh, _pardon_, you don't understand me when I ramble, right?"

"Don't be like that with him, Jacque." Leonardo stood by the door. She sighed and put everything away, then sat at her bed.

"Only until he is healed, Leo I'm not staying any longer than that. And tomorrow I have to go back to the shop to get a few of the stronger stuff, he will be better sooner."

"Good night, Jacqueline." Leonardo closed the door before she could start talking too much.

She kicked her boots off and laid back on the mattress.

"Weren't you going to dope me again?" Ezio looked at her through the darkness.

"Later. Go to sleep." she mumbled.

"Join me." Ezio grinned.

"If you weren't delirious because of the tea, I would give you the wrong medicine on purpose."

"I'll keep my hands to myself. But you can watch if you're into that."

Ezio received a pillow to the face. He heard movement and peeked from under the offending object. Jacqueline was pouring something on a spoon. She held it out to him.

"There. Now you can sleep and let me sleep."

Ezio took the spoon into his mouth. The medicine was not bitter like all the others he had taken. It was very sweet, and left a pleasant taste behind.

"Hmmm" he approved. Immediately, he felt the room spin. Jacqueline held his shoulders and laid him back carefully. She checked his wound again and covered him with the thin sheet. His breathing evened out and he started snoring lightly. Jaqueline was not used to the heat, so she slipped out of her dress and into a nightgown Leonardo had lent her. She didn't bother with sheets, so she just laid down again.

"_Merde_." Ezio still had her pillow. She stood up again and tried to tug it from his embrace. No such luck. She swore again. Whatever. She plopped down again and fell asleep. The medicine she decided to give Ezio was strong, so the next dose was only in the morning.

* * *

Ezio woke up with the soud of someone calling his name. He groaned and hugged his pillow closer.

"I think he needs a bit more time" He heard Leonardo say.

"I need to go back to the shop, I'll be back in an hour or so, give him this when he wakes up." Jacqueline said.

"I'm awake." Ezio mumbled but didn't move.

"Then get up." He felt Jacqueline sit on his bed.

"No." Ezio covered his head. "OW!" He sat up. "Why did you poke my wound?"

"To see if the effect had worn off. Here." She held another spoon for him. The liquid was clear, and smelled like herbs.

"Woah." Ezio almost gagged. "What is that?"

"The tea you drank yesterday had too many chemicals, it could have poisoned your body. This makes it loose its effects."

"You sure know your stuff..." Ezio was starting to get out of bed.

"You. Stay." She pointed at Ezio. "You. Keep him there." She pointed to Leonardo.

"Yes, mother." They both said in unison.

Jacqueline left and Leonardo sat next to Ezio.

"What are we doing today?" Ezio swung his legs off the bed. Leonardo pushed him back.

"_You_ will stay here. _I_ will finish that painting downstairs."

"No, you can't be serious!" Ezio protested. Leonardo left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Ugh, I can't believe this!" He slumped in his bed and started staring ahead. 'I wouldn't be surprised if I stare a hole in the roof' he thought bitterly. Out of curiosity, he peeked at his side. His skin had absorbed the salve Jacqueline had applied the night before, and the stitches were all still there. He could even see the edges of the gash had already started healing.

"Girl's got talent." He said to himself.

"So nice of you to say so." Jacqueline had come in.

"Damn, I was enjoying the quiet."

"You're welcome." Jacqueline sat next to him again and took his wrist to move his arm away from his wound. She ran her fingertips softly over the stitches and nodded in approval.

"How fast do you want this to heal?" She asked.

"As fast as possible."

"You have to do everything I say, understand? Everything."

"Yes, mother."

Jacqueline huffed and proceeded to tell him what he had to do and when. During the next few days, Ezio was only allowed to stand to go to the bathroom, and to eat. Jacqueline breathed down his neck at all times, then ushered him to bed and doped him again.

Finally, one day, Jacqueline told Ezio he was healed. She made him sit in one of the chairs in the kitchen, and took the small dagger out. She cut the stitches and pulled them carefully out.

"You need one more day for the holes to close, then you're free again." She said.

"Finally." Ezio breathed. "I'm gonna miss you doping me."

Jacqueline had become used to Ezio's flirting nature, so she didn't pay attention.

"Leo, _merci_ for the hospitality, I'll be going now."

"Visit, will you." Leonardo held the door open for her.

"I will."

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_Please don't forget to review! ^^_


	2. Chapter 2

_Many thanks to everyone who reviewed! As I said. Reviews make me squeal and my boss look uncomfortable next to me ^^ LONG LIVE WEIRDNESS!_

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"Ugh." Ezio entered Leonardo's workshop.

"What now?" Leonardo looked up from a sketch.

"I'll tell you what now." Jacqueline stormed in after Ezio. The frills of her dress were black and smoking slightly. "This…this…_animal_ destroyed my shop and brought guards in. I lost everything!"

"For the love of god, woman, they were only dried plants." Ezio slumped on Leonardo's couch and started picking on a shallow gash on his forearm.

"Do you have any idea how much it cost me to get my hands on those _dried plants_?" she hissed at him. "The _same_ dried plants that I used to cure you?" she poked his side, where said healed wound used to be.

"I said I was sorry." Ezio slapped her poking finger away.

"Sorry? _Sorry_?" Jacqueline took a deep breath and started yelling in French. Even if Ezio could speak French, he doubted he would understand her talking that fast. On impulse, he started shouting back in Italian.

"That's enough!" Leonardo yelled. He had been trying to continue sketching, but the yelling had snapped his last nerve. "Ezio, apologize."

Ezio breathed out and crossed his arms.

"Apologize to her." Leonardo repeated slowly, pointing his feather threateningly at Ezio.

"'m sorry…" Ezio mumbled.

"Accept it." He turned his demon feather of doom to Jacqueline.

"Fine." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, glaring at Ezio.

"Now go play nicely." Leonardo tried to hide his grin.

"Go where, Leo?" Jacqueline sat next to Ezio on the couch.

"You could stay with Paola…" Ezio thought out loud.

Jacqueline turned her whole torso in order to look at him.

"Are you really as stupid as you look, or do you just train people to believe that? Because, I think it's working very well…"

"I'll show you stupid, you…" Ezio stood up.

"You don't have to show me, it's evident!" Jacqueline also stood up. Although her height was nothing compared to the assassin's, Leonardo knew not to anger her. He cautiously stepped back from the two.

"What did you say?" Ezio clenched his fists.

"Shall I spare your feelings or should I put it bluntly?" Jacqueline asked in mock concern. "Ah, to hell with your feelings, your stupidity doesn't exactly come and hit me in the face screaming, it's just noticeable enough to make me want to stick a blade through my forehead."

"I could help you with that." There was a _shlink_ as he activated the hidden blade.

"Oh, I don't know, do you have enough braincells to breathe and move at the same time?" A huge chunk of his pride died screaming in agony at that moment.

"You're such a graceful and charming woman with fantastic skills of etiquette…"

"Unlike some people…"

"ENOUGH!" Leonardo threw a bucket of water at them. "This is my house, and I will not have you two bickering back and forth like two children! I want you to promise me neither of you will argue while I am within earshot!" Leonardo threw the bucket on the floor.

Ezio really felt sorry for his friend having to put up with everything he did, so he decided to agree.

"Cross my heart and hope to die…" he sighed.

"Don't hope too hard…" Jacqueline mumbled, crossing her arms.

Ezio was out of words, so he looked pleadingly at Leonardo and gestured to her.

"Jacque…" Leonardo pinched his nose.

"Alright, alright…" she rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Thank you." The artist sighed. "You may take the spare room. There are some dresses there."

Jacque went up the steps, sticking her tongue out at Ezio on the way.

"Seriously, how old is that woman?" he was resisting the urge to stab something.

"Ezio, I want you to wait until she comes down, ask her what she needs most, and get it for her. I know she wasn't very polite right now, but she just lost everything."

"I know what she needs." Ezio looked out the window at the afternoon sun. "She needs a bullet in the head, that's what." He fingered his _arma_ _del_ _fuego_.

Leonardo sighed and went back to sketching.

* * *

"Can you deliver a message for me?" Jacqueline had come down shortly before sunset and was holding a piece of folded paper.

"Why would I do anything for you?" Ezio was lying on the couch, craning his head back to look at Jacqueline upside-down.

"Because I'm sure that your head on a pike would deliver the message just as well." She said with a serious expression.

"You know, if you acted more like a lady, maybe people would think you were one, instead of the monster you are."

That was the last straw for Jacqueline.

"I AM A LADY, YOU ODIOUS, GLUTTONOUS, PUTRID FREAK OF NATURE!" she yelled at him.

"I AM NOT GLUTTONOUS!" Ezio stood up and towered over her.

"YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET ON A DIET, YOUR FAT IS REACHING YOUR BRAIN ALREADY!"

"I WILL RIP OUT YOUR VOCAL CHORDS AND STRANGLE YOU WITH THEM!" Ezio made to hold her neck. She slapped his hand away.

"Why do I even _try_ to talk to you?" she grabbed fistfuls of her hair.

"Um…" Leonardo was at the door to the kitchen.

"_What_?" they rounded on him.

"Dinner…is…ready…" he pointed behind him to the kitchen. Ezio and Jacqueline stormed towards Leonardo, who scrambled out of the way and sat at the farthest end of the table. He watched as they tried to walk through the door at the same time and got stuck in the doorframe.

"I told you you were fat!" Jacqueline elbowed him in the gut and stepped forward, sitting next to Leonardo. Ezio growled and sat on the other side of the artist. She wasn't nearly done. "Or maybe it's your ego that takes up so much space."

"Does anyone want rice?" Leonardo asked loudly before Ezio could answer.

They served themselves, and ate in silence. Leonardo tried to make conversation, but he only got short answers. When they finished, Jacqueline helped him do the dishes. After the last plate was in its cupboard, they went to the living room for a nightcap before bed.

Ezio and Leonardo talked about Leonardo's new invention, their low voices lulling Jacqueline to sleep. After much convincing, Leonardo managed to make Ezio carry her to her room.

"I still don't like her." He mumbled as he stood up. Leonardo raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, I hate her to the point that I'm planning her murder and have the cover story planned out." He kneeled in front of the sofa she was half lying, half sitting in and picked her up bridal-style.

"You know that love and hate are very similar emotions, don't you?" Leonardo sipped his glass.

"Please." Ezio shifted her in his arms. "I can get any woman I want, why would I choose…_her_?" he rolled his eyes.

Leonardo hummed and finished his drink. Ezio ignored him and went up the stairs. He pushed the door to her room open with his foot and walked over to her bed. Laying her down, he straightened up and sighed.

"Hmm…" she stirred in her sleep.

"Hmm…" Ezio mimicked.

"Fuckin' fat hummingbird…" she slurred.

Ezio's jaw fell. Even in her sleep she called him fat! He pulled his shirt from his pants and held it to his chest. Looking down he saw nothing but his toned dark abs.

"What are you doing?" Leonardo was standing at the door. Ezio turned to him, still holding his shirt up.

"She called me _fat_. In her _sleep_." He flexed his stomach muscles. "I'm not fat!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Jacqueline had woken up and was staring at Ezio, frowning in confusion. He quickly dropped his shirt.

"I…" Ezio clenched his fists and lifted his shirt again. "I'M NOT FAT!"

"Oh, my eyes." She dramatically covered her face. "You offend my eyes. They're screaming. The burn! The burn! Oh, you're like acid on my vision."

Ezio replied with something mixed between a growl and a frustrated wail and stormed out of the room.

"What was that noise he made? It sounded like some strange, wounded, demented animal." She smiled at Leonardo. "It suits him!"

"Good night Jacque." Leonardo smirked at her.

"_Fais des beaux rêves_, Leo."

* * *

The next morning, Ezio awoke with the feeling that he shouldn't leave bed. He ignored his feelings and dressed. Thinking about what he should eat for breakfast, he went down to the kitchen and scowled.

"You were not the first person I wanted to see this morning." He passed Jacqueline who was chewing some bread and writing a list while leaning her hip on the counter. He opened a cupboard and made himself a sandwich with cheese and butter.

"Likewise." She mumbled, not looking up from her piece of paper.

"Where's Leonardo?" he took a bite of his meal.

"Went off to buy supplies." She finished her own sandwich and drank something from a mug. Ezio caught a whiff of coffee… '_heavenly'_ he thought.

"Did you make more?" he asked, eying the mug in her hand. She nodded and pointed to a teapot on the other end of the counter.

"Why is it in a teapot?" he frowned, helping himself to some. She looked up from the list and glared at him. She looked like she wanted to say something, but shook her head and went back to writing.

"You're polite today." He grinned and sat on one of the chairs by the table.

"Leonardo said we shouldn't argue." She drank some more. "Don't tempt me."

"Oh, so I tempt you?"

"I think my comment last night was enough to clarify that question, but you're obviously too dense to grasp the concept." She put her mug in the sink, put her list in her pocket and left the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" he called after her, finishing his own coffee and putting it in the sink next to her mug.

"Far, far away from you, if I can help it." She said from the living room.

He sighed and went after her.

"You're going alone?" he crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder on the door, preventing her from leaving.

"I pretended to." She draped a shawl over her shoulders.

"I can't let you go alone." He frowned. "Not that I care about you, but Leonardo would have my head…"

"Right then." She smiled. "Let's go before my brain starts oozing out my ears from looking too much at you."

Yeah… He should have stayed in bed.

* * *

They walked in the market, Jacqueline doing her best to ignore Ezio trailing after her. She was halfway through her list, and every time she bought something, she would tell the merchants she was now working in Leonardo's workshop. They all knew her well, her medicines were cheaper than those the healers sold, and had a better and faster effect. They assured her they would spread the message.

"_Cazzo_." Ezio cursed under his breath. Jacqueline turned to him, but he was looking over her head at something else.

"There he is! Get him!" she turned to see some guards running towards them. When she turned back to Ezio, she only saw his back disappearing in the distance. She smiled cheerfully and waved at his back.

"Were you with him, _signorina_?" one of the guards had seen her wave and stopped to ask her suspiciously.

"I was, but I'm glad he's off my back." She said, truthfully.

"If he bothers you again, call on one of the guards." He said and sprinted off after his colleagues.

"I thought you were living in the same house." Anna, a merchant girl who Jacqueline had been friends for quite a while, said.

"I am." Jacqueline turned to her and smiled. "Doesn't mean I like him."

"Love and hate are very similar emotions, Jacque." Anna smirked. Jacqueline scoffed and paid her friend.

"I'll see you around." She waved and continued on her shopping list.

After a while, the same guards almost trampled her in their haste. She frowned at them and noticed they were looking up. She followed their gaze and saw a familiar white-clad figure sprinting through the rooftops.

"Why is he doing that?"

Jacqueline looked at the old woman who had talked and smiled.

"He's either very retarded, or very suicidal." She said. The old woman scoffed at her and went on her way. Jacque followed the guards at a brisk pace. Ezio might not be her favorite person in the world, but she was still worried about him.

She entered an alley she thought she saw him disappear in and looked around. There he was, sprawled on the ground. It looked like he fell.

"Are you alright?" she stepped into his range of sight and looked down at him. He groggily opened his eyes. "I'm not going for help, I'm just curious…"

He groaned.

Jacqueline snapped her head up when she heard shouting.

"I saw him fall around here!" the guards were approaching. She hastily helped Ezio drag himself behind some crates and started running towards the guards. When she saw them, she plastered what she hoped was a fearful expression.

"Please!" she whined, trying to sound pathetic. "The assassin! He went that way!" she pointed towards another alley, leading to the opposite direction of where Ezio was. The guards dashed away.

She smirked and went back to the crates.

"I just saved your sorry ass." She sang.

"Help me up." He growled.

"Say the magic word…" she wagged her finger in his face.

"Oh, for the love of…" he huffed. "_please_." He forced out.

"You didn't quite mean that." She touched her chin.

"Dammit, woman, help me up!" he yelled.

"Over here!" they heard the guards shout.

"That was not the most clever thing you did." Jacque scowled and pulled him up by the wrist. "Can you run?" he shook his head.

"I think I hurt my ankle." He looked around. "I have an idea." He pulled her to a shadowed doorway and turned her so her back was to the wall. He limped forward until he was almost sandwiching her between his body and the stone and lowered his head.

"What are you doing?" she hissed and put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but he leaned his weight forward. Lowering his head even more, he hovered his face inches from hers.

"Play along." He whispered.

"What?" she squeezed herself against the wall to put more distance between them, but he raised an arm and leaned on the wall, successfully hiding their faces.

"Oh, we're terribly sorry, we won't interrupt anything." The guards had reached them. Ezio hummed and grinned at Jacqueline. They probably thought they were kissing. A moment later they were gone and Ezio straightened up again, a wolfish grin on his face.

Jacqueline was as red as the pretty frills on his cape.

"Did you enjoy that?" he mocked. She scowled at him and stepped on his hurt foot.

A string of profanities left Ezio's mouth.

"I enjoyed _that_." Jacqueline picked her basket from the floor and started walking back to Leonardo's house, Ezio limping after her.

* * *

"I leave the house for two hours, and you manage to break his foot!" Leonardo was shouting at Jacqueline.

"I didn't break anything!" she shouted back, wagging a wad of cotton in his face. "He sprained his ankle when he fell from the roof." She went back to dabbing a strong smelling liquid she had made when they came back. "And I saved his sorry ass from getting caught, but he blew his cover by screaming like a girl." She started wrapping his ankle tightly with gauze.

"I did not screa—holy mother of god…" he pressed a couch cushion to his face.

"Wuss…" Jacqueline finished and stood up.

"Yeah, but you could have refrained from stepping on it." Ezio panted.

"Why did you step on his foot?" Leonardo dared to ask. Jacqueline explained why and left to make more salves and medicine with her newly-bought wares.

Leonardo smirked at Ezio.

"Not. A. Word." The assassin growled at the artist, who raised his hands in defense and chuckled.

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?" Jacqueline asked Ezio for the fifth time that day.

Ezio had been sitting around resting his foot for the last week, watching people come and go, either to buy paintings or medicine.

"I'm bored!" he scowled as Jacqueline pushed him back on the couch.

"Read a book." She handed him one from the shelf next to the door.

Ezio threw his head back and exaled.

"A few more days, Ezio and you'll be rid of me." She said, making him notice how much of a relief it would also be to her.

He watched as she went back to the kitchen. He grunted and followed her, hopping on his good foot.

"What did I _just_ tell you?" she threw her hands up.

"Calm down woman, I'll sit." He said and plopped on one of the chairs, resting his bandaged foot on another one. He looked around the kitchen. Just as Leonardo had transformed his living room in his workshop, she had done the same to the kitchen. There was constantly something boiling, or drying in the patch of sun that shone through the window on the table. The cupboards were full of small jars labeled with names Ezio didn't recognize. She sold them and many other things, like bath salts, and teas, and whatnot. Leonardo refused, but she gave him a good percentage of what she earned per week (which Ezio found out was more than Leonardo made in a month) for letting her stay. They had agreed that she could live in the room she was sleeping in and use the kitchen for her work.

Ezio watched her bustle around the kitchen, doing this and that, and rushing to the door to answer it for a customer. He watched the old man thank her over and over again, and tell her how much stronger he felt, and blahblahblah…

When he left, Jacqueline sat on a chair and sighed. She had poured herself a glass of water and was sipping it, inspecting Ezio's wrapped foot.

"I think you work too hard." He told her.

"I did not ask for the mummy's opinion." She retorted. "Go curse something."

He rolled his eyes. Bickering had become a daily occupation for them, even Leonardo occasionally asked if something was wrong if they were quiet around each other.

"Tomorrow's Leonardo's birthday." He said.

"I know." Jacqueline nodded. "I was thinking of baking a cake."

"He does fancy chocolate." Ezio chuckled.

"Any idea of what to give him?"

"I thought about the usual. Paints, new brushes…" Ezio shrugged.

"I need to go to the market anyway, I'll look for something." Jacqueline stood up.

"Can't I go?" Ezio whined. "You two always leave me here alone."

She smirked and put a bottle of his daily medicine on the table with a spoon next to it.

"I bet that if you tried you could make this taste better." Ezio uncorked the bottle.

"Of course I could." She draped her shawl on her shoulders. "I just like to make you suffer." She smiled at him and waved goodbye.

"Don't I know it…" he waved back.

* * *

Leonardo woke to the heavenly smell of something baking. He hastily dressed and went downstairs. He nearly tripped on Ezio's outstretched leg.

"Happy birthday…" he groaned.

"Cake!" he yelled, looking at the chocolate mountain on the table.

"Happy birthday, Leo…" Jacqueline watched as Leonardo mumbled a thank you with his mouth stuffed with chocolate cake. After breakfast, Ezio handed him his present (which Jacqueline so nicely reminded him he still owed her money for having bought it) and they spent the whole day playing cards and board games, and doing everything Leonardo wanted to do. They had a big dinner, where Jacqueline made stuffed chicken and Leonardo opened a bottle of wine he brought up from the basement. They went outside and watched the sunset.

"Thank you so much for today." Leonardo embraced Jacqueline and Ezio forming a group hug (much to their dislike).

"Anything for you, Leo." Jacqueline smiled at him.

"Good night, my friend." Ezio clapped him on the back and watched him enter his house. "This was a good day." He turned back to the last rays of sunshine and smiled.

"He's such a wonderful person." Jacqueline agreed. "Come on." She turned. "You have to sit."

He groaned and hopped inside. He sat on his newly proclaimed throne in the kitchen and watched Jacqueline quickly clean all the dishes. She set them aside so that they would be dry in the morning and held her hand out to Ezio. He always needed help to go up and down the stairs on one foot, much to Jacqueline's joy.

"I'm so glad I can entertain you." Ezio panted as they reached the last step.

"I look forward to the next time you hurt your foot." Jacqueline tried to hold back her laughter and opened the door to his room.

"If I do, it will be because I kicked your thick skull." He scowled at the pain the effort of climbing brought him.

"Yes, yes…" she bent down and let Ezio sit on his bed, taking his arm off her shoulders. "Do you want something to ease the pain?" she asked.

"You read my mind…"

"How can you live in this pigsty?" she asked when she came back from fetching a bottle of medicine downstairs.

"You're not my mother." He opened his mouth to take the medicine she had poured on a spoon.

"Thank whatever enlightened entity that chose it to be that way…" she put the bottle on the bedside table. When she turned back to him, her foot caught in one of the many articles of clothing on the floor and she tripped.

And the aforementioned enlightened entity chose her to fall on Ezio.

"I told you to clean up your room, look at what y—" she stopped yelling when she opened her eyes and looked down at Ezio. He was gripping her arms in an attempt to steady her when she fell, but the surprise had knocked him back too. She steadied herself with one hand next to his head and the other on his chest. He licked his lips nervously and noticed Jacqueline doing the same. "Um…"

"Shh…" he brought her down closer to him.

"Ezio, wha—"

"Play along." He rephrased from that day one week ago and grazed his lips on hers. When she gasped, he used that opportunity to kiss her. The kiss lasted barely two full seconds, when she pinched his neck and scrambled upright. Without another word, she left his room and entered hers across the hall. He heard the lock click.

Sighing, he let his head fall back on his pillow.

"What have I done?" he whispered to the dark ceiling.

_

* * *

_

I just read the STM blog, and I rephrase:

_You want an ending? How's this for a fucking ending…Left you hanging, didn't it?_

_LOL, I love that blog. Btw, 'Fuckin' fat hummingbird' and 'You offend my eyes. They're screaming. The burn! The burn! Oh, you're like acid on my vision.' Is also from there._

_I am now at a loss of what to do with this story. So please review and tell me what you would think is best for the next chapters. Oh, and the rating might go um if SOMEONE coughSarahcough convinces me to write what she wants. But I'll wait for reviews first._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer**__: Assassin's Creed and the knowledge of medicinal herbs do not belong to me. They belong to Ubisoft and Wikipedia, respectively. And that is oh-so-depressing to me. Oh-so depressing. Emphasis on 'depressing'. This may be applied to previous and future chapters. Depressingly._

_**Warning**__: This is a warning. Not a spoiler, I'm not going to say what happens in the chapter, just that it's possibly M-rated. You have been warned._

* * *

A few days had passed since Leonardo's birthday, and he was finding it very odd that Jacqueline and Ezio weren't talking to each other. They always bickered and fought, no matter where, when or over what. Leonardo remembered once, when he convinced them to go to church with him on one Sunday, that they were attracting attention because Jacque thought the church looked pretty, and Ezio thought it looked depressing. He had to apologize to the priest at the end of the mass.

These past few days, however, they didn't speak a word to each other, and avoided being in the same room. Jacqueline was still taking care of Ezio's foot, which was almost healed, but did it swiftly and without looking him in the eye. He managed a quiet 'thank you', she nodded, and that was it.

Today, Leonardo was talking to Ezio about the codex pages, and how he found them very entertaining to decipher, when Jacqueline entered the room holding a spoon and her other hand under it, so it wouldn't drop on the floor.

"Leo, Anna taught me to make this sauce with milk, can you try it and tell me wha—" she stopped when she saw Ezio, who started fidgeting with the codex pages, trying to look busy.

Leonardo stepped forward, and accepted the spoon into his mouth.

"…maybe a bit more salt." He said, licking his lips. She went back to the kitchen and Leonardo turned to Ezio. "What is going on between you two?" he snatched the codex pages back, forcing Ezio to look up at him.

"Nothing…" he whined. _Whined_.

"You don't even look at each other, how can nothing be wrong!" Leonardo frowned at his friend and stepped in his way as he tried to leave the room.

"It's just…I…_cazzo_, Leonardo, why did you have to ask _me_? Why didn't you ask _her_?" Ezio slumped on the couch.

"Because this is _my_ house, and I do what I want here, and I want to know what's going on with the people who live with me!" Leonardo sat on his chair and crossed his arms.

"Well…my room's a mess…she fell and…I may have…she was…and then I…"

Leonardo put his elbow on the table next to him and rested his chin on his hand.

"But I didn't want to…well…I did…but I didn't know…and then…"

"What happened?" Leonardo tried again.

"She tripped…"

"Yes…?"

"And she fell…"

"Naturally…"

"shefellonmeandIkissedher"

Leonardo paused. Maybe he hadn't understood since Ezio was talking so fast.

"Let's try this again…" he sighed. "She tripped."

Ezio nodded.

"And she fell…?"

"On…me…"

"And you…?"

"I may have…well…she was so close, and…"

"You kissed her?" Leonardo finished for him. Ezio nodded.

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so'?" Ezio shouted.

"You kiss at least five women a day. What's wrong with Jacque?" Leonardo made himself comfortable on his chair.

"Well, firstly, she lives here, the women I kiss don't." Ezio stated matter-of-factly.

"I think it's because you like her." Leonardo said dismissively and turned to his sketches.

"I…DO…NOT!" Ezio roared and stormed out of the house.

"You step foot out of this house and you can kiss your free treatment goodbye." Jacqueline was leaning her shoulder on the kitchen doorframe, casually stirring a pot in her arms. Leonardo looked back and forth between them. Jacqueline was still stirring her pot lazily, while Ezio looked tense. He finally gave up and marched back in, throwing himself on the couch. Jacque didn't even acknowledge anything, she simply turned away and disappeared in the kitchen.

Leonardo looked back at Ezio and smirked.

"You like her."

"No, I don't."

"You never obey anything anyone says."

"I'm injured."

"Your foot isn't broken, it's barely swollen anymore. That never stopped you from going out."

"Well…I…"

"Like her." Leonardo finished.

"Say that one more time, Leonardo, and I'll find some other genius to translate the codex pages."

"You can try…" Leonardo chuckled. "But the first step is denial…"

* * *

"Leo? I'm thinking about buying a new bed, what do you think?"

It had been a week since Ezio's foot was healed, and he was off doing missions like no tomorrow. Jacqueline was enjoying the rare quiet in the house drinking the freshly squeezed orange juice she made with Leonardo, when she brought up the subject.

"I think you should be as comfortable as you possibly can, since you only have a room to yourself. Why did you not tell me this sooner?" Leonardo put his glass on the table.

"Nonsense, I wouldn't let you pay for me. We both know that I make more than you." She paused. "No offense, _mon chér_."

"None taken." He chuckled. "But would you reconsider? I feel like I owe you so much, you have helped me on so many occasions when I was sick, and now Ezio…" He noticed she tensed up at the mention of the assassin. "Who, speaking of which…"

"Don't, Leonardo." She sipped her juice. "I'm aware that you have spoken with Ezio, but _I_ won't tolerate it."

"Alright…" Leonardo grinned.

* * *

They were strolling down the street to a shop Leonardo knew to buy the new bed Jacqueline wanted. They entered, and Leonardo searched the shelves for a new blanket. He liked to cuddle on the sofa with a warm cup of coffee on cold nights before he went to sleep, and his current blanket was short off its end.

"I need it soft." Jacqueline was saying to the salesman. "I'm talking marshmallow kind of soft. Lay me down and let me just sink in. That's what I'm talking about." The salesman chuckled and assured her that for any friend of Leonardo, he'd make the finest bed. They agreed on the size, and on a few bed clothing, and Jacqueline paid.

"He said it would be ready in a week." She was saying to a happy new blanket owner, aka Leonardo, who was clutching the basket containing said blanket.

"That's not long. Will they bring the mattress to the house?" he asked.

"Oh, not just the mattress, the wooden part of the bed too, I asked for a bigger one." Jacqueline smiled.

"I think I can sell that bed, then…" Leonardo unlocked the door to his home when they arrived, and let the customers waiting outside enter. Since Jacqueline started working at his home, word of _his_ work spread around faster, too. The rest of the day, Leonardo made visiting appointments for paintings and Jacqueline tended to her patients.

* * *

A few days later, late at night, Leonardo and Jacqueline were enjoying their nightly drink before bed when Ezio came in. He looked like he had jumped into the canals again. And smelled so, too. Leonardo watched as he simply dragged himself across the living room without even acknowledging them, and let himself fall on the sofa, face down. Leonardo looked at Jacqueline, concerned, and she shrugged.

"Ezio?" Leonardo called, standing up.

"Hrrrmph." Was the answer, muffled on the couch cushions.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"m'hr"

"What?"

Ezio turned his head to the side, but didn't open his eyes.

"I'm hurt." He turned his head again to smother his face in the couch. Jacqueline was immediately kneeling at his side, poking and prodding at Ezio, while he tried to push her away.

"Talk to me, Ezio, I can't guess where you're hurt."

"Everything hurts." Came the muffled and slightly angered response.

Jacqueline sighed and stood up.

"He must have had a hard day, just muscle cramps." She answered Leonardo's questioning look. "I'll prepare a bath with a few salts, can you get him upstairs and help him when I finish?"

Leonardo nodded and sat back on his chair, listening to Ezio groan and moan in pain while Jacqueline heated up some water and took it upstairs. When she went up with a small collection of vials, he forcefully made Ezio stand up and helped him up the stairs. When they entered the bathroom, Jacqueline was stirring the steaming water with her hand. The heavy scent of herbs and oils unclogged their noses as they breathed. Jacqueline added one last vial of white liquid into the water, clouding it. She left the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Leonardo helped Ezio unclothe himself and step into the water.

"He looks spent." Leonardo told a waiting Jacqueline as he closed the door behind him.

"Is he in the water?" she asked. When Leonardo nodded, she reached for the doorknob.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Maybe I can help by activating his pressure spots."

Leonardo grinned slyly at her.

"You make a comment, and I will hurt you." She said as she entered the bathroom.

Leonardo chuckled and retired to his room until tomorrow.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Ezio was watching Jacqueline drag a stool closer to the tub. She sat behind his head.

"Sit up." She said curtly.

"Jacque…" he was shushed and told to sit up again. He did so, and thanked whatever she put in the water made it whitish, therefore _not_ see-through. He soon relaxed when he felt her press one single finger into the back of his neck. She randomly pressed her fingers to different spots on his back and neck, and soon, all the tension he felt was gone.

"What is this?" he managed to ask when she pulled his shoulders and made him lie back on the tub.

"Pressure spots." She answered. Still that dry tone.

"Look, Jacque, I'm…" he took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry about…" he gestured around. "You know…"

He waited for an answer but got none. The fingers on his shoulders softened, and he found it much more relaxing than the hard poking.

"What happened to you?" she asked, her voice now back to her normal tone, instead of the curt harshness she'd been using to talk to him these past few weeks.

"My mind was somewhere else." He explained, sliding down a little in the water to rest his head on the edge of the tub. "I was careless, and almost failed the mission."

"You have to be more careful." She said as she continued massaging his shoulders. She had poured some oils in the water, making his skin slick.

"I normally am." Ezio sighed and fidgeted with the washcloth on the edge of the tub. He hated scrubbing himself. As if reading his thoughts, Jacqueline took it from him, and dipped it in the water. Bringing it up to his shoulder, she squeezed it, making the water run down his chest. He relished in the warm feeling of the water tickling his skin.

Jacqueline kept rubbing the cloth in smooth circles on Ezio's shoulder, and noticed he closed his eyes and hummed at the touch. She lowered her eyes again to his broad, tan shoulders, then to his muscular chest, then down to the water's edge. She shifted and started massaging his other shoulder. The whitish water contrasted with his dark skin as it ran down his chest. She bent a little bit forward and started softly rubbing it, feeling the muscles under the cloth ripple and relax.

Ezio felt something tickle his ear, but didn't open his eyes. He smelled fresh herbs, not the ones that were in his bath, those were heavy and stifling, no. He recognized it as Jacqueline's smell. What was tickling his ear was her hair. Why she never wore it up like all the other girls was beyond him, but it fit her. He opened his eyes and turned his head to the left to look at her.

"Jacque?" she straightened up and looked at him. "The water's getting a bit cold. If you don't mind, I'd like to…" she nodded and left the bathroom.

* * *

When he came out, he had a towel around his waist. He walked down the hall, and saw Jacqueline's door was open. He peeked inside her room as he passed it. It seemed she had a new bed. Turning the other way, he entered his own and closed the door behind him. He put on a large pair of cotton trousers and tied them around his waist. He exited his room again and walked forward right into Jacqueline.

"Oh, _scusi_." He steadied the pile of books in her arms.

Letting Ezio take the books from her, she led him into her room and pointed to a desk at the corner. She noticed he hadn't dried himself properly, the small beads of water running down his turned back. She watched as one particularly large bead ran all the way down his spine, and was absorbed by his pants. When he turned around, his chest wasn't much different. Tsking, she took her own towel from her closet and dabbed at his chest.

"You get sick and I'm the one stuck taking care of you."

"Why is your towel fluffier and softer than mine?" he chuckled, sending deep vibrations from his chest to Jacqueline's arms.

"Because you're so rough." She said back.

"I happen to be very sensitive." He answered in mock hurt.

"Yes, and I'm the queen of France."

"You sure do have a bed big enough for a queen…" Ezio stepped out of her reach and padded to the bed.

"And you're barefoot." She huffed. "Do you _want_ to get sick?" she walked around him and finished drying his back.

"Of course not. But I know that if I do, you'll give me those wonderful mind doping medicines." Ezio grinned and ran his hand over the bed.

Jacqueline scoffed and threw the towel in a basket with her dirty clothes in the corner of the room. When she turned Ezio was face down on _her_ mattress, humming in approval.

"What? No! Get off my bed!" she slapped Ezio's shoulder.

"Don't be rough with me, I'm very, very tired." He rolled around and looked at Jacqueline with a grin. She frowned.

"Then go sleep."

"I pretended to, but you won't let me."

"On your _own_ bed…"

He ignored her and scooted farther up and to the middle of the bed and reached for a pillow. He put the softness under his head. Jacqueline watched all this with her hands on her hips.

"Are you comfortable enough your highness?" she asked.

"Yes, very, thank you." He said and closed his eyes. "You may leave."

"Alright then," she said. "But know that my boyfriend slept there with me last night…" she trailed off. Ezio scrambled out the bed and stepped back from it. Jacqueline quickly sat on it. "Ha."

"You lied." Ezio crossed his arms.

"So?" Jacqueline kicked her shoes off and scooted to the middle of the bed, where she sat hugging her pillow.

"You're not supposed to lie, Jacque." Ezio said in a tone a parent would use with their child.

"You lie all the time, Ezio."

"Yes, but it's part of my job. _You_, however, don't have to lie."

"And what are _you_ going to do about it?" she raised an eyebrow defiantly.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson, _ragazza_." He reached forward and pulled her foot, making her fall backwards and slide to the edge of the bed. He started to tickle her, but she used her pillow as a shield.

"That's not fair." Ezio grunted and grabbed her pillow, throwing it in the direction of the hall. They jumped when they heard a _slam_. Looking towards the door, they saw that the pillow had hit the door and slammed it shut. "Now no one will hear you scream." Ezio turned back to her and continued assaulting her sides. She shrieked and scrambled to the other side of the bed, getting up and standing with her back to the opposite wall, making Ezio fall face forward into the mattress. "Get back here!" he crawled on the mattress and reached for her arm, but held his shoulder and hissed, slumping back to the bed.

"Ezio?" she stepped forward and crouched by the bed. He looked up at her and grinned.

"I must have sprained my shoulder when I threw that archer from the roof."

Jacqueline scoffed and rolled her eyes. Ezio rolled on his back and clutched his shoulder.

"Give." Jacqueline was standing, reaching for his arm. He hesitantly stretched and felt her grasp his wrist and forearm with both her hands. "Relax." She shook his arm. When he did, she pulled his arm up towards her and he felt more than heard the sickening 'pop' his shoulder made. At first it hurt like a bitch, but then he rolled it around and noticed the pain was gone.

"You're an angel, Jacque, _grazie_." He grinned at her. She sat on the bed next to his head and started prodding his shoulder.

"You need to start stretching."

"Excuse me?"

"You're hurting like this because you strained your muscles too much." She explained. "If you stretch before a mission, or in your case every morning, this won't happen."

"I see." Ezio looked at the ceiling in thought. "Why didn't you become a doctor?" he heard her sigh.

"I wanted to, but if they catch me using the stuff that I do, I'd be arrested." She explained, looking out the window, where the stars were twinkling.

"You'd still be arrested if anyone told the guards now." Ezio snorted. "I don't know how they didn't chase us when I brought them in your shop."

"That's because I take care of most of the guards' injuries." She looked at him. "Many of them caused by you."

"So that's why they always show up again! It's all your fault!" Ezio frowned. "And you're still taking care of them?"

"Of course I am. Don't look at me like that, Ezio, They pay me well, and even if I stopped, they'd just break in."

Ezio sighed and kept looking at the ceiling.

"I am sorry, about your shop." He mumbled.

"I know." She leaned back on her bed.

They laid there in silence, drifting in and out of their thoughts, until Jacqueline lifted herself on her elbows and looked down at Ezio.

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I was almost there." He mumbled with his eyes closed.

"You really think you're going to sleep here because my bed is better than yours, don't you?"

"No. I _know_ so." He opened his eyes and grinned at her.

"Get out." She grinned back.

Ezio sat up and put his left hand on the other side of her legs, leaning on it and over Jacqueline.

"Make me."

Jacqueline leaned forward and put her face close to his.

"I could always poison you." She raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would."

They kept staring at each other. Ezio noticed how her dark brown eyes had a thin golden ring around them. He leaned forward a bit more and breathed in the scent of fresh herbs. Jacqueline licked her lips in nervousness at their closeness and Ezio's eyes zeroed in on them.

"Um…" Jacqueline leaned away. "It's late, and we probably should—"

"Yes, I'll—"

"Right."

They stood up and went to the door. Jacqueline opened it for him and he stepped outside.

"So…good night." He turned back to her.

"_Doux rêves_." She nodded at him.

He stepped forward and caressed her arm. She shivered under his touch. Ezio slid his arm down and held her waist, leaning forward and bending his head down. Jacqueline followed him with her eyes and craned her neck back to keep eye contact. Ezio tilted his head a bit to the side and closed the distance between them until his lips barely touched hers.

"May I?" he breathed. As an answer, Jacqueline stretched her neck and softly touched Ezio's lips with her own.

Ezio suckled on her upper lip and felt her nibble on his bottom one. He hugged her waist and stepped inside her room, closing the door behind him. Feeling her fingers tangle in his hair and softly tugging, he let her lead him back to her bed. When she stopped walking, she pushed her with his chest and made them fall on the soft mattress. She gasped softly in surprise and Ezio took that chance to slip his tongue in her mouth.

She tasted like she smelled. Fresh and clean, like mint and rosemary and saffron and many other things Ezio was sure were herbs and plants. Jacqueline, however, felt honey invade her mouth and she rubbed her tongue greedily to taste more of the sweet nectar. Ezio lifted his hand and fumbled with the knot on the front of her dress. That seemed to make Jacqueline come back to reality. She pushed lightly at Ezio's shoulders and broke the kiss, looking him in the eye. He leaned on his elbows, caging her underneath him.

"What?" he asked, afraid of having done something wrong.

"I know I can't ask you to be loyal to me." Jacqueline started, a serious look on her face. "But don't expect me to be, either."

Ezio pondered on her words and chose his carefully.

"Why would you think I won't be?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I don't like it." He said.

"It's called compromise. You really expect me to keep living with you and know that the _courtesans_ work for you, and not say anything?"

"I suppose you're right." He sighed. "I still don't like it, but you're right."

She hugged his leg with her own and softly made him roll around, switching their places and straddling him.

"Think of it this way." She said, leaning back and pulling the bow on her chest, untying her dress and letting it fall around her waist, her white shirt she wore underneath it un-crinkling and framing her torso. "You don't have to put up with the screams, and the tears, and the fights, and the raging fathers and everything else."

"That does sound good." Ezio ran his hands up her thighs and under her shirt. He caressed her soft, warm skin and pulled her down for another kiss. He rolled them over again and pushed her up the bed, so that their feet weren't dangling. When she slid up, the rest of her dress came off down her knees, and he pulled it away, throwing it in a random corner. He faltered and started at her.

"Is that _my_ shirt?" he noticed it reached down her thighs.

"Mmhh…maybe…" she untied his pants.

"I want it back." He growled and leaned down to nip her neck.

"Nhh…" she squirmed. "Come and get it."

Ezio kicked his pants off and settled himself between her thighs. He ran his palms over them and pushed _his_ shirt up and off her. He trailed his tongue over her neck and nipped at a pulse. Jacqueline hugged his neck and arched her back, dragging her nails over Ezio's skin. She felt his hardened muscles on her chest and stomach and purred in his ear, tugging at it with her teeth.

Ezio positioned himself at her entrance and looked at her. When she held his cheek and kissed him, he pushed forward into the wet heat, until he felt something in his way.

He froze.

"Jacque…I…" he looked at her with wide eyes. She was still a virgin? And here he thought they were merely playing! And anyway, he never had a virgin before, all the women that worked for Paola were already professionals, he didn't have a clue of what he should do, he heard it hurt for them and how was he going to—

"Never had a virgin before?" she asked him, smirking, though he could see the beads of sweat on her forehead. He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He was going to protest and prepared to pull out, but she rolled her hips, making his moan. He looked at her for approval one more time and moved his own hips forward, breaking the barrier and sheathing himself fully inside. God, the tightness…

Jacqueline hugged him tightly and panted, biting down on his shoulder.

"Jacque I'm sorry, I don—"

"Move." She interrupted him and clawed at his back, whining. "Please, Ezio, move."

He did so. At first he was hesitant, afraid to hurt Jacqueline, but when she stopped digging her nails in his back, he sped up a little bit. Jacqueline released his shoulder from her teeth and threw her head back. Ezio nibbled softly on her neck and felt it vibrate when she moaned. He kissed it. Then he kissed it again, making a trail of soft kisses up to the corner of her mouth. She turned her head and let him kiss her. The kiss got deeper, and Ezio felt her pulse violently around him. She broke the kiss and gasped out his name. Right then, he recognized the warm feeling in his stomach, and quickly pulled out. Jacqueline lowered her hand and started stroking him firmly, until he felt himself explode. He thrust into her hand until he was milked dry, then promptly collapsed on her.

They lay there, panting, Jacqueline using her clean hand to softly caress Ezio's hair. He closed his eyes and listened to her heartbeat under his ear. She shifted, and he saw her reaching next to the bed for her shirt. No, wait, _his_ shirt. Whatever. She wiped her hand on it and pushed Ezio away, making him roll over on his back. She wiped her stomach, then Ezio's stomach, then threw the spoiled shirt in a random direction.

"That was my shirt." Ezio hugged her and let her claim his shoulder as her pillow.

"It still is…" she said. She sounded so tired…

"Jacque?"

"Hn?"

"About you being…well, that you never…I mean, that I was the first to…"

"Ezio." She interrupted him. He lifted his head and looked at her. "Sleep."

"Bu—" she kissed him and lay back down on his chest. He sighed and pulled the covers over them and hugged her close, drifting slowly off to sleep.

* * *

They were back to bickering again. The bliss.

Leonardo rubbed circles on his temples. He had woken up to the heavenly smell of pancakes, and followed the smell downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, Jacqueline and Ezio were all but throwing kitchen tools at each other.

"You stole that shirt, and you ruined it!" Ezio shouted at her.

"You have fifty shirts, and all of them look the same, get over it!" Jacqueline threw (not so gently) a few fruits on top of a pile of pancakes.

"Good morning…" Leonardo sat down by the table and accepted his plate and glass of milk before Jacqueline threw it at Ezio.

"Good morning, _mon chér_." She smiled sweetly at him, then turned back to yelling at Ezio. "And anyway, you didn't even miss that shirt until you looked closer!"

"And how close it was…" Ezio muttered and looked away.

"What are you complaining about?" Jacqueline took a step forward and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm complaining that you entered my room and you took a shirt without even telling me!" Ezio stepped closer too and hissed threateningly in her face.

"Do you even know how hard it was to find a _clean_ shirt?" she jabbed her finger in his chest.

"Then why did you take it?" Ezio grabbed her hand and squeezed it angrily, making her flinch. Leonardo watched wide eyed. They never resorted to being physical.

"Let me go, you brute!"

"Answer me!" Ezio yanked at her arm when she tried to pull away.

"Ezio, that is enough!" Leonardo stood up. He gasped when Ezio whirled around and used Jacqueline's arm as a lever to throw her against the nearest wall. She thumped loudly against it, making the painting on it fall to the floor and break. "Ezio! What is this madness? What do you think you're—" he faltered when Ezio slammed his own body on Jacqueline's small one and they started…kissing wasn't really the word for it, more like trying to suck each other's soul out through the other's mouth.

Leonardo stood there, baffled.

"Did I hurt you?" Ezio asked softly when he pulled away. Jacqueline softly shook her head and smiled at him. He brushed his fingers through her hair and pushed a strand behind her ear.

Leonardo made a strange noise in the back of his throat. Probably choking on his own saliva.

"I believe we have some explaining to do." Ezio chuckled at the expression his friend had on his face.

"There's nothing to explain." Jacqueline snapped and went back to the sink. "We just had casual sex, nothing more." She ignored the gurgling sound Leonardo was making, and the foam dripping out of his mouth.

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LOL, foam. Please review!


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